The Red Spring, or Calico Basin, Boardwalk is a delightful and fully accessible hike in the Calico Basin area of Red Rock Canyon NCA. The boardwalk is not on the Scenic Loop Drive, and there is no charge to use the area.

The 0.5-mile boardwalk loop starts in a picnic area, switchbacks gently up a hillside beneath towering Velvet Ash trees, and then makes a wide loop around an alkali meadow to Red Spring, which is at the far side of the meadow from the top of the hillside. Shaded benches provide pleasant places to watch swallows flying over the meadows, and signs provide information about the area.

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is fairly safe, even for kids. However, the boardwalk is elevated, so take care not to step off the side. I once backed up and stepped right off the boardwalk while trying to photograph a bird. I fell into the mud with quite a thud -- but I kept the camera clean!

The meadow harbors the rare Alkali Mariposa Lily, so please stay on the trail so as not to trample the delicate vegetation.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this is a short hike, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Drive out West Charleston Blvd, turn right towards Calico Basin, then drive into the Red Spring Trailhead. Park here; this is the trailhead. The parking area closes at sunset, so don't stay too late and get locked in.

The Hike

From the parking area, the concrete trail runs through the picnic area to the wooden boardwalk (Table 2, Waypoint 01). The boardwalk switchbacks up a marshy hillside, then forks at the top of the hill. The loop begins here, so wander in either direction and enjoy the scenery. Red Spring (Wpt. 02) is under the trees at the far side of the meadow from where the trail forks. Be sure to look for petroglyphs along the trail at the base of the red sandstone cliffs (Wpt. 03).

Before the boardwalk was installed and people were kept away from the spring, there was very little vegetation around the spring because people trampled everything to death.